Pepsi, Coke pledge not to sell sugary colas in schools

Global cola majors Pepsi and Coca-Cola have decided not to sell their high calorie sugary products in primary and secondary schools across the globe.

PepsiCo India, which has been promoting students health through 'Get Active' programme, in a late night statement said "We are in the process of working out its rollout in India."

The company is committed to adopting its new policy to stop sale of full-sugar soft drinks to primary and secondary schools by 2012, it added. The programme include expanding physical education, promoting nutrition education along with portfolio transformation towards more nutritious products.

"We have long advocated for school settings to be made as conducive as possible to promote health of students... (it) will serve as an important part of that mission, by expanding our offerings of low-calorie and nutritious beverages," PepsiCo Chairman and Chief Executive Offcer Indra Nooyi said.

PepsiCo said it will work with its bottlers, vending companies and third-party distributors -- in collaboration with parents, community leaders and schools officials around the world -- to offer low-calorie beverages for primary and secondary schools.

PepsiCo's move follows an announcement made by the Coca- Cola Company last week that it will make itself fully compliant with its global school beverages guideline by 2013, under which it will not offer beverages for sale in primary schools, unless asked so by parents and caregivers or school authorities to meet hydration needs.